I just got back from AdTech San Francisco 2013. It shaped up to be a really great show. I got a lot of business done, made new contacts and had a great time.
This show was different than most, I went with several orders of business and actually accomplished almost all of them. The difference? I didn't get stuck going to all the "networking events" aka waste of time parties with extremely loud music. (However, I will say that I heard Clickbooth and Engage BDR events were good and would have … [Read more...]

From blowout to power out to red zone standout, the game offered plenty of excitement for fans. But it also provided some solid lessons for marketers:
The work’s not over until the whistle blows – The kickoff return at the beginning of the second half was the difference between defeat and victory for the 49ers, and it was caused by the players assuming the deep kick would result in a Jones touchback. So they left their assigned protection lanes, stopped aggressively pursuing the ball, and … [Read more...]

Ready, Set, Uh… What’s Next?
I conclude this set of posts on maximizing your trade show experience with a key element – what do you want the visitor standing in front of you to do?
As we discussed previously, you have defined goals for the show, invited prospects to the exhibit, and worked hard to get the visual and spoken communication to be focused, inviting, complete and consistent. So much done correctly. I’d even say the hard work is complete. Now like any deep-sea fisherman with a … [Read more...]

This post is by Rj, a Long time Marketing Pro who has overseen hundreds of trade shows.
I’m Face to Face. Now What?
“It is OK to grab a tiger by the tail, as long as you know what you are going to do next.” I find this idiom provides great clarity for thinking through what should happen at a tradeshow, yet so often does not.
My last post looked at maximizing the return on the investment one makes in trade show exhibits. After thousands of trade shows in my career, I make the case … [Read more...]

Now that Ad:Tech is behind us, I had a chance to talk with some affiliate networks, traffic providers and other industry companies.
The problem is clear and no one is sure how to fix it.
Many companies aren't getting great ROI out of their conference spending.The costs add up quick, you have hotel and flight before you even set foot in the conference, meals, taxis if you're in NYC, the conference booth for your company (quite costly depending on size and location), sponsorships, giveaways, … [Read more...]

This post is by Rj, a Long time Marketing Pro who has overseen hundreds of trade shows.
Throwing Money in a Shredder would be Easier
Last week I visited an industry trade show, and after walking the show floor, it struck me how much money and marketing power was wasted. And how much energy companies were expending to waste it. It truly would be better to just toss the cash into a shredder and save on the travel wear and tear.
A strong statement? Absolutely. But let’s think about … [Read more...]